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U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL,10) and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle discussed the importance of the Affordable Care Act with Illinoisans who have benefited from the health reform law at a Tuesday roundtable discussion in Des Plaines.

At the small gathering, held at the Frisbie Senior Center, Schneider criticized his Republican opponent, former one-term Congressman Bob Dold, for voting several times while in Congress to repeal or weaken the president's signature health reform law.

"When my opponent was in Congress, every time the Republicans brought an effort to fully repeal the Affordable Care Act — not some of the times, but every time — he voted with Republicans" to repeal it, said Schneider, who unseated Dold in 2012 and is seeking a second term. "In contrast ... I have not voted for repeal and I will not vote for repeal. We need to move forward."

Sources

While New Jersey Governor Chris Christie headlined a fundraiser for Republican Illinois gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner Friday evening in the Loop, more than 100 protesters gathered outside the event to decry the pair's conservative stance on a myriad of social issues.

“Both of these politicians pose as moderates, but we’re here to call attention to the fact that both Bruce Rauner and Chris Christie have extreme positions on both the social, as well as the economic pocket book issues,” said William McNary, co-director of Citizen Action/Illinois.

The four Illinois GOP gubernatorial hopefuls faced questions about a number of social issues at a Tuesday night debate, ranging from the death penalty and women’s reproductive rights to helping ex-offenders reintegrate into society. Progress Illinois provides some highlights from the forum.

Same sex couples can legally marry in Illinois starting June 1, but many members of the LGBTQ community have questions about how the new marriage equality law will be implemented, prompting a handful of elected officials to host an informational forum Wednesday night on the North Side of Chicago.

Organizing for Action (OFA) has reportedly raised $20.8 million in its first three quarters of existence.

The organization was born out of the president's re-election campaign with the intent of "organizing to create jobs and strengthen the middle class, fix our broken immigration system, fight climate change, prevent gun violence, get the facts out about Obamacare, protect women’s rights, ensure marriage equality and push forward on even more issues," according to the OFA web site.